Mechanism for and method of charging containers with liquid



' All@ 31, 1943. J. E. woLLl-:NWEBER 2,328,372

MECHANISM FORV AND METHOD OF CHARG'ING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed NOV.25, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 31, 1943. J. E. woLLENwEBER MECHANISM FORAND METHOD OF CHARGING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Filed Nov. 25. ,1938 3Sheets-Shes?l .2

Aug. 3l, 1943. E, woLLENwEBER 2,328,372

MEGHANISM FOR AND METHOD OF CHARGING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Fifled Nov.25, 1958 5 sheets-sheet s F5114 Syvum July/us5 Wllenveez:

Patented Aug. 31, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT. oFFIcI-:-

MECHANISM FOR AND METHOD F CHARG- ING CONTAINERS WITH LIQUID Julius E.Wollenweber, Detroit, Mich., assigner to The American Paper BottleCompany, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 2s,193s, serial No. 242,429

(ci. 22e-se) 4 Claims.

, small consequence whether a liquid being handled foams or not sincethe foam quickly subsides and disappears when the agitation ceases. Onthe other hand, in certain instances, it is highly essential to takeinto full consideration the foaming characteristics of a liquid, thisbeing particularly true in the design of liquid measuring and handlingapparatus for charging' containers. Thus in the charging of a containera measured quantity of liquid must be owed into the container and thecontainer thereafter sealed. If a substantial body of foam is formedupon the upper surface of the liquid in the container after charging,this may interfere, so long as it exists, with the sealing of thecontainer,

particularly when the container is of the tubular type and has afoldable or collapsible upper end portion comprising a plurality ofpanels which are to be relatively folded into predeterminedrelationship, and permanently secured in such relationship, aftercharging. When containers of this type are being lled with milk, theproblem of preventing and eliminating foaming is a material one since,as is well-known, milk has a marked tendency to form foam when agitated.After charging of the container with the measured quantity of milk, asubstantial body of foam is usuallgrf present upon the upper surface ofthe liquidrthis foam body projecting upwardly into the foldable endclosure of the container. After charging, it is of course desirable toclose the container as rapidly as possible not only for reasons ofeconomy in the operation of the container charging machine, but also tominimize the possibility of entry of contaminating substances into theopen. mouth of the container. Hence it is desirable that such steps asmay be possible be taken not only to charge the container with the milkin such manner that foaming is minimized but also to provide means forrapidly dissipating any foam which may have been created.

I have discovered that a bodyof foam resting upon the upper surface of aliquid in a container, the upper end of which is open, can be readilydissipated by blowing into the upper end of such container, in suchmanner as to contact with the foam on the surface of the liquid, agaseous current. Any suitable gas may be employed for this purpose, butnaturally it is most economical to use a gas which isreadily availableat small cost. Advantageously the gaseous stream is,

heated, it having been found in practice that a body of foam is muchmore vreadily dissipated when subjected to the action of a relativelyhot stream of gas than when the gas is unheated. Steam may be used withgreat advantage, for

' the stated purpose, being not only hot but also sterile, but wherefacilities for the generation of steam are not readily available, heatedair may be employed with success, it being essential of course toprovide means which will supply clean uncontaminated air.

While particularly useful when employed in connection with automaticmachines for charging milk into containers of the type described, theinvention is nevertheless of utility in the packaging of other liquidsyinto other types of containers, as will be apparent to one skilled inthe art. Likewise, the mechanism employed for generating and supplyingthe gaseous stream may vary widely in its details of construction.Several types of such mechanism, which have been lused with success, areillustrated in the accompanying drawingsby way of example.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of a mechanism by meanso1V which steam jets may be introduced Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of amodified type of gaseous jet directing device;

Figure 'l is a section on line l-l of Figure 6; Figure 8 is an axialsection through one of the y nozzle devices shown in Figure 6;

Figure 11 is an end view of the device shown` in Figure 9; f Figure 12is a bottom view of the same, showing several series of` gasdischarged-apertures;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure .13 is a side ,elevation of a third form of gaseous fluiddischarging means suitable for use in practicing the improved method;

Figure 14 -is a section on line I4-I4 of Figure 13;

Figure 15 is an axial section through a strainer through which thesteampasses on its way to the discharge nozzle;

Figure 16 is a perspective view showing a completed container, aftercharging and sealing; and

Figure 17 is a vertical section through a condensate oitake valve. n

While, as haspreviously been explained, the improved method andapparatus are of general utility and may be made use of in the4 chargingof containers of various types with different kinds of fluid, it isparticularly useful when employed in connection with a rapidly operatingcontainer charging and sealing machine, for reasons previously pointedout. A small portion of such a machine is illustrated in the drawings,one of its longitudinally extending side frame members being indicatedat I0 and a bridging member, extending transversely of the machine,.from one side frame member to another, being indicated at II. Aconveyor structure is generally indicated at C, this conveyor extendinglongitudinally of the machine and including spaced parallel members I3which together comprise a traekway for the conveyor chain I4 whichchain, in the operation of the apparatus, is intermittently actuated inthe direction of the arrow A (Figure 2) to intermittently advancecontainers, such as containers D, D', D2, D3, andD4 (Figure 2)', thebase of each of these containers being gripped .between a pair ofcontainer gripping elements mounted on and movable with the conveyorchain I4. Each container comprises a tubular body portion I5,rectangular in horizontal section, and a foldable upper end closure I6comprising a plurality of relatively sti panels which may be readilyfolded, after charging, so that its upper end is peaked and providedwith a transversely extending relatively stiff rib, as shown 1n Figure16.

In Figure 2 there are diagrammatically 1l1ustrated two cylinders 20 and2| which comprise elements of a liquid measuring and dischargingmechanism. This mechanism may vary in its details of construction, butmay advantageously be formed in the manner fully disclosed in thecopending application of Julius E. Wollenweber, Serial No. 210,257.Associated with each unit 20 and 2| is a discharge nozzle, one of whichis indicated at 22 and thevother at 23, these discharge nozzles beingpositioned immediately above the conveyor C and in position to dischargeliquid such as milk downwardly into containers whose open mouths aresuccessively positioned in close proximity thereto. Charging of eachcontainer is effected in two stages where the containers are of `largecapacity, one half of the charge being projected into any singlecontainer through the nozzle 22 and the remainder through the nozzle 23at a later time. Thus while the container D4 is receiving the firstportion of its liquid charge when positioned as shown in Figure 2, thecontainer D2 is receiving the remainder of its full charge, thecontainer D3 intermediate containers D2 and D4 temporarily occupying aposition in which it receives no liquid, thus allowing the foam createdby the rst charging operation to subside from natural causes as much aspossible before this container passes under the discharge nozzle 23.

' ing mechanism to introduce the liquid into the When fully charged eachcontainer is iilled with liquid up to the level indicated at 24 in thedrawings and, despite the ability of the chargsuccessive containers withthe least possible amount of objectionable foam, a charged containeroccupying the position D' will frequently have upon its upper surface asubstantial body of foam which, unless 'removed before the time that thecontainer reaches the means for closing the upper end of the container,may beat least in part forced from the open end of the container as theclosure panels are inwardly and downwardly deflected.

'I'he means for subjecting each successive container to the action of argaseous blast, immediately after it is charged, will now be described.The form of the gas discharging mechanism illustrated in Figures 1 to 5is preferably employed when steam is the gaseous medium to be used fordissipating the foam. Portion of a conduit for leading steam, at thedesired temperature and under the desired pressure, from a suitablesource of supply, is indicated at 30, the direction of ow of steam beingindicated by the arrow B (Figure 1). This steam enters a separator 3iwhich may be of any desired or standard type and by means of which waterof condensation can be removed together with impuri ties. After issuingfrom the separat-or 3I the steam passes upwardly through a conduit 32into a strainer 33 by means of which it is subjected to a furtherstraining operation. From strainer 33 the steam is led, through pipe orconduit 34, toward the body 35 of the steam discharge device generallyindicated at 35, body 35 being rigidly secured to the bridging member II. Through an aperture 31 formed in the wall of body 35 steam may passfrom conduit 34 into the hollow interior of this body. Intermediate thestrainer 33 and the steam jet device 36 the conduit 34 is provided witha valve 38, preferably of the needle type, by means of which the flow ofsteam to the discharge device may be accurately regulated.

The iioor 39 of the steam chamber within the hollow body 35 is providedwith an upstanding tubular member 40, the lower end of which registerswith a steam discharge port 4I formed in the :door or bottom 39, port 4Icomprising a valve controlled port through which steam may ow downwardlyinto the horizontal duct or conduit 42. Each end of conduit 42 is incommunication with the interior of a nozzle member, one such nozzlebeing indicated at 43 and the other at 44, the nozzles being preferablycup-shaped, as shown, and the upwardly extending peripheral ange of eachnozzle having an upwardly facing annular surface which directlyunderlies a similar but downwardly facing annular surface formed upon adownwardly projecting annular portion 45 of body 35, an annular sealingring or washer 46 beingl interposed between the mutually facingsurfaces.

Each nozzle is attached to the body 35 of the jet device by means of ascrew,'one such screw being indicated at 48 and the other at 49, eachscrew extending upwardly through a central aperture provided in thenozzle for its reception and having its other end in threaded engagementwith a correspondingly threaded bore formed in the undersurface of body35. Each nozzle has formed therein a plurality of downwardly andoutwardly inclined gas discharge ducts 50 and the securing screws 48 and49 are likewise axially apertured, as 'indicated in Figure 4 at 5|, aradial bore 52 bringing such aperture into communication with theinterior of the associated nozzle. Through the several discharge ducts50, and the central discharge duct 5|, steam downwardly ilowing to eachnozzle may be discharged into the upper end oi a container positionedjust below it and, during the operation of the machine, this steam flowis preferably uninterrupted, so` that each newly charged container issubmitted rst to the action of gaseous jets projected downwardly fromthe nozzle 43 and thereafter to jets projected downwardly from nozzle44.

Steam now, however, is automatically interrupted when the machine isshut down'either intentionally or by accident, the valveji, located inthe upwardly extending tubular duct 40 being adapted to descend when theconveyor driving motor is de-energized, to close the aperture 4|, thusimmediately stopping the flow of lsteam which, in the absence oi suchvalve, would continue and cause heating of the liquid contents of thetwo containers immediately below the respective nozzles. The upper endof valve 55 is pivotally connected to the lower end of a verticallyreciprocable plunger 56 located within the central aperture of asolenoid magnet 51 which is supported upon a bracket 58 mounted upon thetop plate 59 of the jet device 36. A cylindrical casing Eli encloses themagnet and its support. The motor which drives the conveyor and operatesthe charging apparatus. is diagrammatically indicated at 62 in Figure 1,and two electrical supply mains or conductors at 63 and 64,respectively. The magnet coil 51 is connected by electric conductors 65and 96 to conduitst and 64, respectively, and hence electromagnet 51 isenergized only so long as the motor 62 is energized. It is apparent,therefore, that the valve 55 of the jet device will be raised when themotor is energized and will be lowered and closed automatically when themotor is de-energized, the valve being projected downwardly into'closedposition by its own weight and the weight of the solenoid plunger 56 towhich it is connected.

It will be perceived that the two nozzlesl 8 and 46 are at differentelevations, the nozzle |54 being closer to the container D than is thenozzle 43 to container D'. It is found advantageous to arrange thesenozzles at ldiierent elevations and to eiect the defoaming or foamdissipating operation in two stages instead of in one stage,particularly when the machine is being rapidly operated, since asubstantial body of foam may be more satisfactorily dealt with in thismanner, portion of the foam being removed in one operation and theremainder in. a second operation without placing the steam under unduepressure.,

Each nozzle is provided with an oitake for water of condensation, theoiitake for nozzle d3 being clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 andthe oitake for nozzle M being exactly similar. This oitake comprises atubular extension 69 terminating in a downturned portion 69 alsoprovided with a duct or conduit, the upper end of this duct being incommunication at all times with the outer end of the horizontal duct oftubular member 68. Water of condensation which collects upon the uppersurface of the bottom of 'nozzle 43 may escape through the communicatingchannels formed in members 68 and 69 at any time during the operation ofthe apparatus: and suitable means may be provided for collecting thisescaping waterland leading it to a sump. The outer end of thehorizontally extending tubular member 68 is closed by a screw or plug 10which may be removed when it is desired to clean the apparatus bypassing steam under substantial pressure therethrough, all water ofcondensation and possible impurities being blown from the end oi thetubular member 68.

The details of the strainer 33 and of the valve 38 may be varied asdesired.' One form of strainer is shown in section in Figure and is seento comprise a hollow casing 1| .having .an inlet port 12 and an outerport 13, with a removable disc-like cover 14 secured in'position by aclamping yoke 15 and a manually operable screw 16. Within the casing1|,is a cylindrical screen 11 the upper end of which is connected to aring 'i8 and the lower end to an annular member 19. It is essential thatall portions of the apparatus be of such character as to be readilydisassembled since frequent cleaning is neces? sary.

In Figures and 7 a modiiled form of device for directing gaseous jetsinto containers is shown.

This is especially suited for use when one nozzle only is employedalthoughvtwo or more such devices may be made use of when defoaming in aplurality of stages is desired. The jet device comprises essentially ahollow cylindrical member 80 having a,k plurality of apertures formed inits closed lower end 8|, in each of which apertures a nozzle or .letmember 82 is threaded. Spaced `above the lower end 8| of member 80 is afalse bottom 83 having an aperture 815 therein through which steam maypass downwardly from the vertically extending conduit or channel 85, theflow casing 81, portion of which is illustrated. A conduit for leadingsteam to the interior of member is indicated at 88 and a conduit,`at alower elevation, through which water of condensation may escape, isindicated at 89.

In Figures 9 to 12 there is illustrateda jet d'evice by means of whichstreams of heated air may be projected into the open upper ends ofcontainers. This device comprises essentially an elongated member 90having a cylindrical bore 9| for the reception of one or more heatingelements of the electrically energized type, one such element beingindicated at 92. By means of this element the member 90 may be heatedtothe desired temperature. Beneath the longitudinal bore 9|, member 90is provided with an elongated downwardly opening recess 93 within whichis tightly tted an elongated nozzle member 94 provided with a pluralityof gas discharged ducts 95, arranged in groups of live, as shown inFigure 12. The interior ofthe longitudinal groove 93, above the nozzle9B, is in communication with means for supplying air under lightpressure, the tube 90' comprising al portion of this connecting means.The elongated nozzle member 99 is supported at its ends by means offlanged caps 95 ,and 91, the cap 96 having an annular peripheral flange96 through which a thumb screw 96" passes and by means of which the capmay be secured in position and the peripheral flange 91' v,of cap 91being interrupted. as shown clearly in Figure 11, to

provide a' space 98 registering with the end ofthe bore 9| and throughwhichswires 99, leading from the heating unit 92, may project, whichwires may be connected to a suitable source 0I electric current. 'I'heair owing i'nto the jet device through the tube 90 is heated, whilepassing through this device, to the desired degree prior to itsdischarge from the air discharge ducts 85. This appliance has beendesigned to simultaneously direct heated gaseous streams into the upperends of four containers, such as indicated at D, D", D8, and D, and itwill be clear that it may be modified so as to simultaneously directjets of heated air to the open ends of any desired number of containerssimultaneously, depending upon the nature of the iluid which is chargedinto such containers and the speed of operation oi the containeradvancing means.

, In Figures 13- and 14 a second form of air jet device is shown, thisbeing generally similar to that just described but having heating unitssecured exterlorly thereto instead of being housed within the same. Thusto the longitudinally extending main member |00 there are secured twoheating units, preferably of the electrical type,

indicated at |0|, each of these units being seated within a recess orgroove formed in the upper surface of member |00. The heating units areheld in place by means of bands |02, each band being provided with athumb screw |03 which insures tight contact between the lower surface ofthe heating unit and the surface of the recess in which it is located.Upon the tube |04 through which air under light pressure is conductedinto the hollow interior of member |00 there is secured aLthird heatingunit |05, by means of a band |06 and thumb screw |01, and, if desired,additional heating units may thus be secured to the metallic conduitthrough which the air is led.

In the form of the invention disclosed Iin Figures 1, 2 and 3 means isprovided for draining off water ofrcondensation which mayv collect uponthe oor or bottom of body 35. It will be appreciated that there will bea substantial accumulation of condensate when steam enters the body 35after a long shut-down, during which the body has cooled to roomtemperature. A condensed steam offtake pipe 342 is provided for thispurpose. one end of this pipe being in free comwater*` forms in the body35 the valve 345 is opened and the water allowed to escape. After thisthe valve is closed and normal condensation allowed to 'escape throughgroove 34. If desired, this valve structure could be replaced by a steamtrap.

'Still further forms oi the invention may be devised to suit specialcircumstances and the invention in itsbroader aspects is quiteindependent of any particular mechanism. However, the several mechanismswhich have been illustrated and described have been proven to b eeminently successful for rapidly dissipating layers of foam from theupper surfaces of containers just previously charged with milk. n,

Having thus described the invention, wh'at is claimed as desired to besecure by Letters Patent is:

1. Mechanism of the class described comprising, in combination, aconveyor for advancing a series of containers, the .upper ends of whichare open, and means positioned above the conveyor for directingdownwardly into each successive container a gaseous current, said meansincluding two nozzles spaced longitudinally of the cony veyor andunequally spaced from the conveyor.

2. Mechanism of the class described comprising, in combination, aconveyor for advancing a series of containers, the upper ends of whichare open, so as to successively pass a given'point, and means positionedabove th'e conveyor for directing downwardly into each successivecontainer a plurality of jets of gas, so that any foam within thecontainer will be reduced or broken down.

3. Mechanism of the class described comprising, in combination, aconveyor for advancing a series of containers, the upper ends of whichare open, so as to successively pass a given point, and means positionedabove the conveyor for directing downwardly into each -successivecontainer a plurality of downwardly diverging jets ofgas to reach andbreak down any foam within the container.

4. In the art of charging containers with liquids such as milk whichfoam when agitated, passing a stream of milk downwardly into a containerthrough the open mouth thereof to partially fill the same, andimmediately thereafter projecting downwardly into the container throughsaid open mouth' and into any body of foam resting upon the surface ofthe liquid in the container, a iet of steam to dissipate such foam,thereby making it possible to promptly close and seal the containermouth.

JULIUS E. WOLLENWEBER.

